China willing to join global efforts on AI ethics, governance

China is willing to participate in global efforts to promote the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence so that it will benefit all mankind, a Chinese representative to a United Nations forum said on Monday.

China's Vice Minister of Education Wang Jiayi made the remarks at the Second Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, a two-day event sponsored by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the Slovenian city of Kranj.

Wang said the AI governance plans proposed by various countries reflect their hands-on experience and can provide a basis for gathering global consensus and jointly formulating global governance plans.

China is also willing to listen to all parties, carry out communication, exchanges and pragmatic cooperation on global AI, jointly build an open, fair and effective governance mechanism, and promote AI to benefit all mankind, Wang added.

The forum, themed "Changing the Landscape of AI Governance," gathered more than 600 representatives from governments, international organizations, academic and research institutions, NGOs and businesses from 67 countries.

Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO's assistant director general for social and human sciences, told Xinhua that China has not only formulated a series of measures and laws to regulate AI but has also actively participated in international efforts addressing the downsides of AI technologies, aiming to deliver better results for people.

In her opening speech, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay stressed the importance of international cooperation in the new context of climate change and digital revolution. "The question for all of us is whether we will be active participants or just observers of this revolution and how we will direct it to benefit all of us," she said.

Slovenia's Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh said she believes the participants all have the "motivation, power, knowledge and responsibility to develop AI that will work for the good of the people."

As part of the forum, UNESCO opened a global observatory for AI ethics in cooperation with the Alan Turing Institute and the International Telecommunication Union. The observatory will have access to reports on readiness for AI and analyses of best practices while serving as a hub of knowledge on AI ethics and governance.

The forum will continue on Tuesday with discussions on best practices, building blocks for effective AI governance as well as integrating ethical AI in businesses.

The first Global Forum on the Ethics of AI was held in 2022 in Prague, the Czech Republic.